INTHEBLACK August 2025 - Magazine - Page 46
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Words Sonakshi Babbar
“The more we’re going online, the more skills we’re
losing, and consequently trust is being diminished.”
DR LOUISE MAHLER, COMMUNICATION EXPERT
There was a time when leadership did not
need explaining. A firm handshake. Steady eye
contact. A voice that carried clarity
and conviction. Trust was something people
could feel in the room and in the moment.
But leadership has shifted. Flatter
hierarchies, busier calendars and a culture
of constant communication mean leaders are
under pressure to show up fast, speak well
and earn trust — without the time or space
to truly connect.
“The more we’re going online, the more
skills we’re losing, and consequently trust
is being diminished,” explains communication
expert Dr Louise Mahler, in a recent episode
of the INTHEBLACK podcast.
“In what order are you saying things?
Do you use gestures? Do you use eye contact?
How do you shape your body? These are
things that aren’t being considered anymore,”
she notes.
The 2025 Edelman Trust Barometer shows
a growing gap in trust between high-paid
leaders and everyday employees, says Mahler.
Strengthening trust starts with communication,
both in what is said and how people show up.
“We have to bring back smiling and keep
the jaw loose,” she says, “and your hands need
to be visible, always unclenched.”
THE ART OF GRAVITAS
Mahler points out that 30 per cent of women
hear they “need more gravitas” in performance
46 INTHEBLACK August 2025
reviews, without really knowing what it means.
“Gravitas is the manner of trust and
respect,” Mahler says. In her book Gravitas,
she draws on the timeless wisdom of the
Romans and Greeks to explain its five key
elements: structure, language, memory,
delivery and gestures.
“Can you organise your material in a way
others can follow? Do you use language
that connects? Can you remember what
you want to say and in what order?” she asks.
Of the five elements, Mahler says delivery
is the most powerful — “how we use the
body, voice and especially gestures.”
“Keeping your palms open and towards
the people that you’re speaking to is
a hugely important gesture of trust.”
SPEAK WELL IN PUBLIC
When tasked with public speaking,
one of the key challenges is overcoming
the body’s stress response. The unconscious
mind thinks public speaking is a threat,
and it tries to protect the speaker by freezing
and shutting down the body, says Mahler.
Her stage-tested advice is simple but
powerful: “Let’s move the body, unclench
the fist, unclench the back of the neck,
release the jaw, get the tongue out, release
the diaphragm and get the air flowing.”
With some knowledge and simple
techniques, Maher believes it is possible
to overcome “whatever it is that blocks you”.
LISTEN
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podcast episode
